Haunted
by Dark-Angel-Shui-17
Summary: Nightmares, brought by unknown spirits, have plagued humanity from the feudal age to present day. They are what make us fear the dark, fear sleep. And when Kagome's nightmares turn out to be much more than that, will she be able to survive through them, o
1. Dark Images

_(Hey peoples! I learned a few days ago that does not allow stories to have song lyrics in them. Obviously, this is not a new rule, and "to avoid account suspension" I had to delete _Haunted_ in order to edit and remove the lyrics. Thus, I'm reposting now. I've left everything else the same, including the pre- and post-chapter comments Enjoy)_

A/N: Before I start this, just let me tell you, I was letting my 'depressed self' plan this out! If you no likey, please say! I'm just trying something new!

Also, I'd like to dedicate this fic to Silent Sniper and Shortyredd17—their stories helped me discover a whole new side of my writing.

HAUNTED

By Dark-Angel-Shui-17

Chapter 1—Dark Images

_running running running but from who?_

_can't escape must keep running_

_hands everywhere searching must keep running_

_Inu-yasha Kaede Shippo where are you?_

_keep running must keep—_

_Sango Miroku why aren't you with me?_

_why have you left me?_

_why?_

A scream tore through the night as Kagome Higurashi woke from a darkness deeper than any shadow of this world.

She gasped air into her lungs, tearing the strangling sheets from her throat, sheets that felt like hands from her nightmare.

"Kagome?" Mrs. Higurashi ran into the room, startled from peaceful slumber by her daughter's scream. "Kagome, did you have another bad dream?"

Kagome merely nodded, not trusting her throat to speak. Her mother sat down beside her and stroked the girl's black hair. "Sweetie," she soothed. "You're under too much stress. Maybe you shouldn't go to school tomorrow—"

"No, Mom!" Kagome protested, her voice a little too high. She swallowed hard and tried speaking one more time. "I mean, I've missed so much already—"

"Then there's no harm in missing one more day. You need to rest." Her mother eyed her in a gaze that said, 'Don't-argue-with-me-young-lady-or-else'.

Kagome sighed and relented. "Alright," she grumbled, and retreated under the covers again.

"Do you want me to stay with you until you fall asleep again?" Mrs. Higurashi asked.

Kagome rolled her eyes, and was about to send her mother packing when a tear rolled down her cheek. "Yeah, please," she said in a choked voice.

Mrs. Higurashi smiled down at her daughter and started singing a lullaby she had sung to both her children as babies. Kagome smiled at the familiar melody and hummed along, until her eyelids became too heavy, and the young lady fell back into peaceful sleep once more.

---

_stay away away away!_

_don't come any closer_

_please—_

_tears fall slowly down my cheeks_

_my friends_

_where are you?_

_Inu-yasha have you abandoned me?_

_have you left me like you said you always would?_

_like you said you would. . ._

_when we first met. . . _

_why?_

_why have you left me. . ._

_with this . . . ?_

Kagome woke again with a start when her alarm went off. Her head was one foggy mess, and as she tried to discern where she was, she fell without grace off her bed and landed in a heap of limbs and covers on the floor.

_I—I'm in my bedroom,_ she thought, blinking. _I'm not in that place anymore._ She got up and switched off her evil alarm clock, sitting back on her bed.

"Great—the one day I could have slept in," she groused, eyeing the man-made beeping demon that was her clock, "and I forget to switch off the darn thing." Kagome sighed and leaned back on her pillows. She closed her eyes and tried to remember her dream—

"BANZAI!" Kagome's eyes flew open as her little brother flew into her room and catapulted onto her bed, and on Kagome herself.

"SOTA!" the teenager screeched.

"Morning, lazy butt!" her brother laughed. Mrs. Higurashi came into the room, holding a spatula threateningly.

"Sota Kiyoshi Higurashi!" the woman scolded, "didn't I tell you your sister wasn't going to school today?"

Sota gulped. "Sorry Mom," he said, and went out of the room quickly.

"It's okay, really Mom," Kagome said soothingly. "I was already awake."

Mrs. Higurashi sighed. "Well, you might as well come down for breakfast, then."

Kagome nodded, and grabbed her house coat. She followed her mother downstairs, and as she breathed in the homey scents of pancakes and bacon, she felt truly safe. Safe for the first time since that dream.

---

"Kagome!" The teenager froze as she heard her mother's call.

_Uh-oh!_ she thought. _I'd better move quickly._

Kagome ducked through the hallway and out the door faster than blinking. Closing the door as quietly as possible, she breathed deep and took a step off the porch—

"Kagome!" her grandfather called cheerfully. He was sweeping the front step that led to the shrine. "How are you lately?"

"Kagome?" Mrs. Higurashi poked her heard out of the upstairs bedroom. "Kagome Tori Higurashi, get in this house right now!"

"But Mom!" Kagome protested. "I was just going through the well! I'll get so _bored_ here!" She smiled winningly at her mother. "I'll be back for supper!" She waved and was in the miniature shrine before her mother could say another word.

Unfortunately, someone else was waiting. "Kagome, your mother tells me you've been having bad dreams lately," her grandfather said.

Kagome sighed. Knowing Grandpa, he was going to keep her here for quite a while. "Yes, well—Grandpa, what the heck?" She blinked at the plant that was suddenly being held in her face.

"Ssh," Grandpa hushed, and closed his eyes in concentration. "These nightmares may be caused by evil spirits, Kagome, spirits only I could dispel from your person—"

"That's really sweet, Gramps, but I have to go, bye now!" Kagome said in a rush and jumped down the well—this time, her saviour from another lesson in evil spirits possessing people and how to dispel them.

_Sorry, Grandpa, but I just need one group of people right now—_ Kagome thought, as the inside of the well glittered and shone, turning into a wide space of nothingness. _And they're right here._

The emptiness around her solidified and she found herself looking at the same dry inside of a well identical to the one she had grown up beside. She looked up and saw blue sky.

_Yep_, she thought, smiling. _Right here—far away from all the noise, all the pollution—_ She actually laughed, _and all the sanity of my world. _

She was still laughing as she used the thick vines growing around the well's lip to pull herself up.

---

Inu-yasha's ears pricked as he heard something very familiar. It was laughter, laughter he recognized. He stood and looked out the doorway of Kaede's hut.

"Inu-yasha? Is there something wrong?" Miroku asked, looking up from his breakfast.

"Kagome's here," Inu-yasha muttered, and took off.

Miroku choked. "What's she doing here? She wasn't supposed to come back for another three days." He started to follow the hanyou when he was pulled down by Sango.

"Let Inu-yasha go and pick her up," the girl said. Miroku snorted.

"Still trying to set them up, milady?" he asked.

"Who me? Set people up? Never." Sango rose, brushing off her kimono and went outside the hut, smiling mysteriously.

Miroku sighed, his eyes on her figure until she disappeared. He loved that smile, he loved her body, he loved that girl so—

"What's wrong with your face?" A certain kitsune popped up two inches from the monk's face. Shippo watched with bemusement as Miroku fell back, the expression on his face turning from one of eagerness to one of revulsion.

"Don't _do_ that!" Miroku clutched at his heart. "Stupid fox demon."

Shippo shrugged, munching on a dumpling. "I was just curious about why your face was like that. It was like you had eaten something rotten."

Miroku spluttered. "Why you—" he reached for the oblivious kitsune threateningly.

"Where's Inu-yasha?" Shippo asked, licking his tiny fingers.

"He's off fetching Kagome from the well," the monk said through gritted teeth.

"Kagome? Hurray!" Shippo jumped up and ran out of the hut before Miroku could get him claws into him. The monk sighed.

"Oh well—I can always kill the little bugger later."

---

Kagome reached the top of the well, when suddenly she was struck with a cold feeling deep within her heart—

_try and escape_

_try and run, pretty one_

_you won't be able to run forever_

_and when you stop. . ._

_I will take you_

_forever_

—the girl, almost lifeless, lost her grip, and fell back into the black oblivion of the well. At the last second a strong hand clasped around her wrist, and pulled her onto firm ground.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, bitch?" Inu-yasha asked roughly (by this time he had used the word so much on Kagome it was more of a pet name than anything). Kagome stared at him with lifeless eyes. The half-demon furrowed his brow.

"Kagome?" he said hesitantly. The girl did not respond, simply looked off into space with those empty eyes. "Kagome!" He shook her, fear making its way through his veins. "Kagome!"

As he called her name a third time, the teenager blinked and the light shone into her eyes once more. "Inu-yasha?" she said quietly, her voice no more that a squeak.

Inu-yasha sighed in relief. "You almost had me scared there, bitch," he said, and started to let go of her shoulders. He was surprised to feel her throw herself at his chest.

"I—was—so—scared!" Kagome sobbed, as something broke inside her soul. She just couldn't keep the tears back anymore. "I was—so scared—I wasn't going to see any of you—ever again!"

"What are you talking about?" Inu-yasha was really scared now. To have Kagome break down like this—and though he hated to admit it, Kagome really was a tough kid—was disturbing. Very disturbing.

"I . . . don't know. . ." she whispered into the hanyou's red kimono. "I don't know."

---

(A/N: Well, chapter one—done! Yeah, I'm feeling very depressed and bored now that Christmas is over. Consider this my New Year's Present for anyone interested in my stories!)

(A/N: I know it doesn't make much sense at this point, but it will! Trust me—it will)

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Inu-yasha characters. I own only the plot line.


	2. Remembered Horrors

Well, here's Chapter 2! Thank you so much to those who reviewed—I'd barely had this up for a full day and I already had 4 reviews! . happy kitty. Thank you so much to the following people:

"kagome"

"Hopeless Romantic"

InuLover12

"Lily Thorne"

And so, without further ado:

HAUNTED

By Dark-Angel-Shui-17

Chapter 2—Remembered Horrors

Inu-yasha stared at Kagome, fear still creeping through his blood. She shivered uncontrollably in his arms, her sobs growing more and more quiet. Finally there was silence in the clearing. Inu-yasha thrust the girl back so that she looked into his eyes.

"Kagome, what happened?" Because something must have happened to her, the hanyou reasoned, to get her like this.

Kagome stared at him blankly. "I—"

"Kagome!" Suddenly Shippo popped up between them. He latched onto Kagome's leg, the only part of her he could get his arms around. Inu-yasha and Kagome both wore expressions of shock. A vein twitched in the half-demon's temple.

Shippo found a clawed hand around his tail and let go of Kagome. "What do you want?" he asked, glaring at Inu-yasha. The hanyou glared back.

"Shippo, can I ask you for a favour?" he said, almost pleasantly.

"Maybe." The kitsune crossed his arms as Inu-yasha raised his arm, so that he didn't have to bend over to get the message across to the fox-demon. "What's the favour?"

"I want you—to LEAVE US THE HELL ALONE!" Inu-yasha bellowed, and threw the unfortunate fox demon across the clearing.

"OSUWARI!" Inu-yasha suddenly found his face in the dirt . . . again. He sat up, radiating with what little pride he had left.

"What was that for!" he yelled at Kagome, who was standing, glaring at him with her hands on her hips.

"For being a bully," she stated, and walked off towards the village.

Inu-yasha snorted. _Doesn't matter what mood she's in,_ he thought. _She can never be too out-of-it to forget the damn-blast 'sit' command._ He sighed, and, with a running jump, leapt into the trees.

---

Kagome took her time getting to the village. She had a lot on her mind. What was with all the nightmares she had been having? Why had she blacked out at the well? And why—oh God, why!—had she broken down in front of the last person to show emotion to, Inu-yasha?

She gritted her teeth. _He—he didn't even try to comfort me!_ she thought, her face flushing with rage. _I start crying, and all he can do is gawk at me! Ooh, that demon—half-demon—whatever!_ She continued to stalk through the forest, reeking with indignity.

Suddenly her legs turned to butter and she collapsed. "What is wrong with me?" she muttered, tears springing to her eyes once more. She leaned back against a tree and closed her eyes.

_try and escape try and run, pretty one you won't be able to run forever and when you stop. . .I will take you_

Her eyes snapped open again. "That voice—" she started, but a pink bubble popped up in front of her face.

"Is that Inu-yasha around?" Shippo asked. Kagome growled—her frustration very much overcame the kitsune's cuteness.

"Will everyone just leave me alone so I can think?" Kagome yelled for the forest to hear.

"What's—with—her?" Shippo asked, little beads of tears in his eyes, as he rubbed the spot on his head Kagome's fist had made contact with. "Huh—girls."

---

"So you just left her to wander by herself?" Sango's scolding could be heard throughout the village. "Isn't that just like a man—a girl starts collapsing and you just—run off?" She towered over a slightly disturbed Inu-yasha.

The hanyou nodded meekly. "I—well, uh—I thought it was the best thing to do! She was ticked off about something—"

"She made you 'sit' again, didn't she?" Miroku asked nonchalantly from a safe distance.

Inu-yasha growled. "Yeah."

Sango sighed. "Well, what are you waiting for? Go out there and find her!"

"But—but—"

"No buts!" Sango hefted the half-demon onto his feet and proceeded to push him out the door. "She's been gone for too long—it couldn't have taken her this long just to get to the village!"

"Stupid bitch probably got lost in the forest," Inu-yasha muttered, but his heart wasn't in it. Though he would never—ever—tell anyone, he was worried about the strange girl. And the incident that morning had left him wary. What if some sort of demon was trying to hurt Kagome? He couldn't let her get hurt.

"Damn woman," he hissed, as he leapt towards the forest. "Why'd you have to go off by yourself?"

---

Kagome sighed as she tripped over another root. She had wandered through the forest all afternoon, and now she was completely lost.

"Oh, if Inu-yasha saw me now . . ." she said ruefully. She gazed up at the trees and shuddered. All of a sudden the forest was a lot less 'happy'. She couldn't see the sky anymore, and cold drafts blew between the withered trees and dry grass.

"Th-they'd better come and find me soon," the teenager said, rubbing her arms. She scowled as she looked down at her outfit. It definitely wasn't good for a day spent in a forest: short blue-jean shorts, a blue tank top, and black sneakers. _Oh well,_ she thought, _At least I brought along a sweater,_ and took off the zip-up she had tied around her waist.

As she put the sweater on, Kagome continued walking. _This is all Inu-yasha's fault,_ she steamed, not really because he was the one to blame, but because he acted like a bastard half the time, he wasn't there and it worked.

But then she thought: he had held her when she had cried and the look in his eyes when he pulled her back . . . he had been worried about her. There had been such a look in those amber eyes—they had held fear and concern, which wasn't something the hanyou showed very often.

Kagome closed her eyes to recall his face—maybe she was wrong about the whole Inu-yasha-worrying-about-her thing—as it had been that morning. But even as she pictured his face, it turned to one of the hanyou suffering. His features were stretched with pain, and—

_Wait a second,_ Kagome thought.

-_flashback-_

"I—was—so—scared!" Kagome sobbed. "I was—so scared—I wasn't going to see any of you—ever again!"

"What are you talking about?" Inu-yasha stared at her.

-_end_-

She remembered her dream.

---

Inu-yasha leapt from tree-to-tree with the grace and agility of an eagle in flight. The hanyou dropped to the ground and sniffed it, searching for any sign of Kagome.

"That's her," he muttered to himself, and took off again. He passed over a black-haired figure and stopped. "Hey, bitch, is that you?" he called over his shoulder. He backtracked and dropped down to the ground once more.

Kagome stood there, back towards him. He reached out and grabbed her shoulder. "Hey, bitch, I've been looking everywhere for you. Where've you—what the hell!" He yelled as a stone statue suddenly appeared, crashing to the ground with his hands underneath. There was a special spell strip on it to prevent him from removing it.

'Kagome' turned to him, only she had Shippo's face. Inu-yasha growled. "Why you—get this thing off me!" _One of these days,_ he thought darkly, _I'm going to figure out how this damn thing works and use it on his head!_

Shippo returned to his normal body with a puff of smoke, and stood, arms crossed, a safe distance away in case the hanyou tried to kick. "I'm not letting you go until you apologize for hitting me," the kitsune proclaimed, and smirked. "And I have all the time in the world, you know."

Inu-yasha growled, then sighed. "Shippo," he said in a soft voice. "Kagome may be in trouble."

"What!" Shippo stared. "But I just saw her a few minutes ago!"

"You did? Which way did she go?"

"Um . . . that way." Shippo pointed, then looked at Inu-yasha suspiciously. "You'd better be telling the truth, Inu-yasha," he said as he removed the spell strip.

Inu-yasha took off running, not even bothering to hit the kitsune again. Shippo stared, mouth open in surprise. "Wow, he must really be worried," he mused, and took off towards the village.

---

Kagome remembered her dream. The only problem was, she was once again a part of it.

_It started with a clear day, in the meadow where the well was. Kagome was sitting on the well's edge. _

What am I doing here?_ she wondered. _I thought . . . this was just a dream.

_All of a sudden Shippo came through the trees, trailing a ribbon behind him. Kirara chased it, mewing. Kagome watched them as they ran around the well, seeming not to see her. _

_The fox-demon and cat-demon ran near where Sango and Miroku lay, staring up at the clouds. Sango was leaning against Miroku's shoulder, and the monk's hand was wrapped around her waist. Kagome stood and started walking towards them. _

_In a flash of dark blue lightening, the entire scene changed to the nightmare that caused her to wake up screaming. The grass burned with blue fire, as did the surrounding trees. Kagome's eyes widened with shock and she turned, only to see the well in ruins. _

_She heard screaming coming from the village, and started running in that direction. Her steps seemed slow, as if she was running through water. When Kagome reached the edge of the forest, she gasped. The village was burning with the same blue fire, and she could see no villagers though the screaming was much louder. _

_Kagome took a step forward, only to have her foot connect with something. She looked down and screamed. Kirara was there, her fur matted and burned, and cuts oozing blood were all over her small body. Kagome turned, and started to run, trying to block out that image. Then she saw Shippo. _

Shippo!_ she tried to call, but no sound issued from her mouth. The kitsune turned, looking at her with woeful eyes. His cloths were torn, his tail singed. As he stared at Kagome, blue fire started rippling along his clothes, and he burned up without a sound. As the ashes fell Kagome just stood there; tears dropped down her cheeks. _

_Turning again, she saw Sango walking towards her, Miroku beside her. As they walked they started to crumble into dust, until they, too, burst into fire. Kagome started to breathe faster, fear growing as her entire body went numb with shock. _

Yes . . . feel the pain, pretty one. Feel the terror

That voice_; Kagome spun around, hoping to catch whoever it was that was speaking. His voice sent shivers throughout her body, and she felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up as a phantom hand touched the back of her neck. _Who are you?_ She tried to speak once more, but nothing came from her mouth. _

I'm coming,_ the phantom said. _I will find you soon. But first—why not continue living this lovely dream?

Wait—I want out!_ Kagome fruitlessly tried to talk one last time, to no avail. Tears ran down her cheeks, and she collapsed to the ground, a cold feeling in her heart. _

"_Kagome!" She looked up at the shout. Inu-yasha was making his way towards her, his fire-rat kimono gone. Bad wounds leaked blood, staining his silver hair and shirt. One dog-like ear was nearly non-existent. He held the Tetsusaiga at his side; the sword was not in its battle-mode, no more than a letter opener. _

Inu-yasha!_ Kagome called, standing. She began to run to him. But even as she ran, Inu-yasha's s clothes caught fire, only this fire was black. Still he strode towards her, until he went on his knees, his strength spent. Kagome stopped a foot away from him, horrified. _

_Inu-yasha stared up at her with hollow amber eyes, full of defeat and pain. As he reached for her, his body crumbled into burning dust. Kagome took a staggering step forward, falling to her knees. Her hands touched his ashes, still rippling with flames. She was so numb now she didn't even cry. _

_As she brought her hand away, Kagome stared at it stupidly as it started to burn with blue fire. She stared at her hands as they burned then crumbled away. As her arms began to go up in flames she started to scream, and was still screaming when she blacked out. _

---

Inu-yasha's ears pricked as he ran through the forest. He smelled Kagome—she was nearby. But he heard screaming, and laughter—the laughter made his blood run cold, and he pushed himself even harder.

Finally he rushed into a clearing, sliding to a stop in the dirt. He looked around and spotted the girl laying on the ground, her back to him.

"Kagome!" the word slipped from his lips as Inu-yasha ran to kneel beside her. Turning her over, he gasped at how white her face was. "I've got to get her to Kaede," he muttered, and picked her up gently. In an eye blink he was off again.

---

A shadow watched him carry off Kagome, its red eyes gleaming.

"Massssster sssshall be pleasssed," it hissed, and sunk into the ground among the shadows of the rocks and trees, making its way back to the hand that had created it.

Yeah! another chapter done! Hope you people like it—and I'm sorry if anyone didn't like the part where Kagome hit Shippo—but this is MY story, and I'll do things as I want to:glares at readers: So don't complain.

Anyways, may have to wait a while for the next chapter—it's back-to-school tomorrow TT. Pooh. But I will try to post chapters regularly. Until next time!

P.S. I want to wish my best friend Meg a HAPPY 15TH BIRTHDAY! .

Disclaimer: Look at it this way: I will own Inu-yasha a) when the original writer _mysteriously_ disappears :heh heh: and hands over all rights to me, or b) never.


	3. Shadowy Terrors

Argh . . . school is back in, and EXAMS are coming up . . . god-damn all evil tests:sits in corner, pouting: Anyways—THANK-YOU to everyone who reviewed—I love you all! (that may scare people, but anyways . . .)

HAUNTED

By Dark-Angel-Shui-17

Chapter 3—Shadowy Terrors

"Can't you do anything, hag?" Inu-yasha yelled.

"Yes—I can ask ye to please shut up," Kaede snapped as she patted Kagome's fevered brow with a cool cloth.

Inu-yasha growled and stormed out of the hut. Miroku and Sango stared after him.

"He is really worried about her," Sango said, looking down at Kagome. Inu-yasha had brought the teenager in a few minutes ago, and in that time she had developed a horrible fever. She was pale and sweating, but her skin felt like ice.

The demon-exterminator looked at the medicine woman with worried eyes. "Lady Kaede, have you any idea what is wrong with her?"

Kaede shook her head sadly. "Alas, no. This old woman's sight only stretches so far. Miroku, can ye sense anything?"

The monk shook his head; he kneeled at Kagome's side, across from Kaede. He held his staff over Kagome in one hand; his other was in a prayer-position by his chest.

"All I can feel in a darkness in Kagome's soul," he said. "Usually her soul is so pure—when explained in colors, Kagome's soul is white, the color commonly connected with innocence and purity. But now. . ." He trailed off.

"But now?" the two women leaned closer.

"Now, her soul is tainted with black; it's like a shadow has fallen on it." Miroku spoke slowly, as if choosing every word carefully.

"Do you think it may be Naraku?" Sango asked, but she was interrupted by Kirara pulling on her sleeve.

The little cat-demon was mewing frantically. "Kirara, I'm busy; why don't you go play with Shippo?" Sango asked patiently, prying the teeth from her kimono.

But the kitten just danced around, plainly worried. All eyes except the unconscious Kagome's was on her.

"Did . . . Something happen to Shippo, girl?" Sango asked. Kirara nodded, worry in her orange eyes. Sango frowned and stood. "I'll go look for him," she said, heading for the door. "You help Kagome." In an instant she was gone.

Kaede and Miroku stared at each other, then down at Kagome. "First Kagome collapses in the forest, and then Shippo disappears," Miroku mused. "Could these events be connected?"

Just then Kagome's eyes opened. The only problem was is wasn't truly Kagome.

---

Shippo stared around himself fearfully. All around him were shadow-shapes, moving along the ground like oil. He trembled in fear.

_Why didn't I go straight to the village?_ he thought, dismayed. That had been the original plan; after all, it was getting dark. But then he had smelled something sweet on the breeze and went to investigate. This was where it had landed him.

A shadow slithered over to him; rising off the ground, a tendril was about to wrap around his tail when it was smacked away by another shadow.

"Fool!" hissed a voice. "You know what Massssster commanded—we are meant only to frighten him, not kill him!"

"But he sssmellsss ssso good!" protested another voice. Shippo shook his head; was he hearing things? "Jussst one little nibble!"

There were murmurings of agreement from the other shadows. Shippo shook even more; he was dead. The shadow that had first reached for him reared up; red eyes seemed to stare into his very soul, and a mouth open in the blackness. Shippo found himself gazing at very sharp teeth. That was when he screamed.

"Hiraikotsu!" a familiar voice called from across the clearing. A huge boomerang tore threw the shadow, making it rip like paper.

"Sango!" Shippo cried, tears of relief running down his cheeks. The girl had torn off her kimono to reveal her armour.

"Shippo, run!" she called, and threw Hiraikotsu again, slicing a path through the shadows. The fox-demon literally ran for his life until he was safe in Sango's arms. Once there, he wept without any shame.

A shadow came up behind Sango; she turned too late to defend or attack. It was almost upon her when Kirara lunged upon it. She had transformed into her huge cat-form, and shook the shadow in her mouth like a chew-toy, then trampled it with her flaming paws.

Sango gave a sigh of relief before leaping aboard Kirara. "Back to the village!" she cried. "There are too many!" In an instant Kirara leapt into the sky. The shadows stretched to grab her tail and hind legs, but the cat-demon flew too high and was soon out of reach.

"Report back to Massssster!" One of the shadows snapped. "Tell him of the cat at once! Tell him of the flamesss!"

One by one the shadows slithered out of the clearing, and soon the hours of darkness was filled with the reassuring sounds of peaceful night.

---

Back in the village, however, things weren't so peaceful.

Kagome's eyes, once a warm, innocent brown, were—Miroku could find no other word for it—evil. They were a blood crimson, and her pupils were black slits.

"Ka—" Kaede started, to find Miroku by her side, pulling her away.

"Don't bother, Lady Kaede," the monk whispered. "That isn't Kagome."

The two watched with growing horror as the teenage girl floated to her feet. Her body rippled with a coal-black aura that crackled like fire. The fire concentrated on her hand and formed into a long sword. Kagome's mouth twitched in a terrible smile as she raised the sword, ready to smite the two she had once called friends.

Miroku's hand reflexively went to the beads wrapped around his left hand, but he hesitated. _No,_ he thought, _I can't risk drawing Kagome into the wind tunnel._ He let his hand drop and raised his staff, knowing it would do no good against this weapon.

Kagome started to bring the blade down, but it was stopped. Kaede and Miroku gasped. Inu-yasha held the transformed Tetsusaiga, its blade shining a brilliant white. He was glaring at Kagome with the same look on his face as if she was any other opponent, but there was also confusion and hurt in his amber eyes.

"How can this be?" Kaede said, staring as Inu-yasha and Kagome struggled to overcome one another. Kagome face was twisted in a look of ultimate hatred as she took in the hanyou and his sword. "The Tetsusaiga is unable to fight against humans."

"We must accept that Kagome has been possessed mind, body and soul," Miroku said in his quiet way.

"I sensed no such demon," the old woman retorted.

"Maybe it isn't a demon." Shivers went down Miroku's spine as he said it. What could be more powerful than a demon to have smothered Kagome's soul without any of them knowing?

As Inu-yasha looked into the eyes of the person who had been his first friend, he felt a pain in his heart. _Kagome,_ he thought. _What is happening to you?_

Despite all his feelings for her that he had kept bogged down, he still spoke cockily, like he would any other enemy. "I don't know who you think you are," he said, "but you'd better stop using the wench's body—I still need it." He knew that sounded totally wrong, but at that moment he couldn't have cared less—he just wanted the real Kagome back.

To his surprise, Kagome laughed, only it wasn't her cutesy school-girl laugh—it was deep and echoed through the hut. She leapt back from the Tetsusaiga, swinging her sword of fire with ease, as if she had handled a sword all her life.

She regarded Inu-yasha with a sneer. When she spoke, it was a voice as deep and sinister as the laugh. "Begging your pardon, half-breed, but this 'wench' is now my property. Don't forget that." She flung her hand out and an invisible force hit Inu-yasha in the ribs, sending him into the wall beside the door. Miroku and Kaede edged away as Kagome—or whoever possessed her—drew closer.

Inu-yasha had dropped the Tetsusaiga on impact, and the sword hissed and returned to its antique-like quality. "Who the hell are you?" he snapped, some blood dribbling from his mouth. His teeth had cut his lip when he had been hit.

"I'm afraid I'm not inclined to give my name out to every half-breed I meet." Kagome lifted the fire-sword above her head once more, ready to strike. "But I am inclined to clean up any trash I meet." She chuckled and brought the sword down.

Inu-yasha was too fast. He dodged the blade and grabbed Kagome's wrist, forcing the sword into the ground. Still she hung onto it, the one possessing her screaming.

"How dare you! You have no right to do this, you dog!" Inu-yasha smiled grimly.

"You may have the skill," he said, "but the body you chose is all wrong. Maybe if you hadn't stuck around to kill us you would have gotten away."

Kagome smiled again; a smile of twisted venom. "I must kill," she—he whispered. "The shadows are hungry and they WILL BE FED!" With no show of effort on her part, Kagome pulled the sword out of the ground and slashed at Inu-yasha's side.

He gasped with pain and dodged away; his blood fell to the floor. Kagome advanced, preparing for another attack. "So long, puppy," she said sadistically and hefted the sword up for a final hit.

Inu-yasha bolted forward and grabbed her wrists. His leap forced Kagome to crash into the opposite wall. "Kagome, wake up!" he yelled.

"Fool! You'll never wake her—" The voice faltered, and a whisper fell from Kagome's lips: "Inu . . . yasha?"

"Yes, it's me, Kagome! Wake up now!" The hanyou was out of ideas. If this didn't work, he was dead. His side throbbed with pain, but he ignored it; Kagome was more important that any little cut.

Kagome closed her eyes; her face wrinkled with effort and pain. The black sword sizzled away, wrapping around her body once more in an unholy aura. But it started to slide off her, like an article of clothing two sizes too big. Then it shed off, pooling around her feet in a puddle of oily nothingness.

Kagome collapsed. Inu-yasha embraced her, breathing a sigh of relief into her hair. Miroku and Kaede approached the two.

"Inu—" Before the monk could finish the black puddle crackled again with electricity—it started to bubble beneath Kagome.

Inu-yasha swore and jumped back, keeping a firm hold on Kagome. The pool slowly moved around and around, forming first a whirlpool and turning into a hurricane. It spun, out of control, steadily getting bigger and bigger. Everyone in the hut huddled down, heads covered. The hurricane rent through the walls, destroying the small house, and diminished into the air.

"Miroku!" Sango's voice came from far off. "What happened?" She ran towards what had been Kaede's home, Kirara and Shippo struggling to keep up. The other villagers ventured out of their homes to see what the commotion was.

Miroku swept Sango into an embrace. "What happened?" she repeated.

Miroku looked over at Inu-yasha; he was still holding Kagome close to him. "Something . . . happened . . . to Kagome."

Inu-yasha stared down at Kagome's face, worry marring his handsome features. _Wake up,_ he thought_. Open your damn eyes! _Something brushed down his cheek; a tear. He ignored it as it fell onto Kagome's face.

The girl cringed and her eyes opened slowly, tiredly. She took one look around her and burst into tears.

"Wh-what's happening to me?" she sobbed.

Aah . . . the plot thickens! Sorry to cut it off like this, but I have so much else to do! . I have the day off today (freezing rain warnings . . . buses shut down . . . you know the story) so I want to get as much work (aka writing fanfics) done as possible! (my mission :heroic pose:)

Anyways, when I started writing this chapter, I was listening to the Chicago soundtrack (Got it 4 Christmas) and I thought 'No, definitely not the music I want to be listening to when I'm trying to write depressing stuff'. So, I ran upstairs, grabbed my Evanescence CD and popped that into the computer. Aah . . . now I'm ready to write depressing stuff:grins: Until next time!

One last thing! I want to wish my big sister a happy birthday (she's turning 20 this weekend) So HAPPY B-DAY, KIM!

Disclaimer: I do not own Inu-yasha, nor will I ever own Inu-yasha, so SCREW OFF!


	4. Stolen Away in the Dark

:gasps: I cannot believe I'm on Chapter Four already:dies: Ahem, sorry—today I had no energy, then after school I had a lot of energy, and now I have very little energy again (weird, neh?)

Just a note: I was thinking about killing Shippo last chapter (you know, when he has the run-in with the "shadows") but then I thought, "Naw, he's too cute to die" So, Thank Me for being charitable! (Sorry, had to get that off my chest)

And so, without further ado:

HAUNTED

By Dark-Angel-Shui-17

Chapter 4—Stolen Away in the Dark

Inu-yasha stared down at Kagome. An hour had passed since she had recovered from being possessed. Kaede, Miroku, Sango, Shippo and Kirara had all moved into another hut near the forest. Inu-yasha and Kagome, however, hadn't moved.

He was still embracing her, holding her close to him, as if he was afraid she would disappear if he let go. The girl was asleep, and if her dreams weren't peaceful, Inu-yasha couldn't tell. She had stopped crying a while ago, and the hanyou hadn't let anyone come close enough to question her.

Inside the hut, Miroku chanced another glance outside. "They haven't moved at all," he murmured, concerned for his friends.

Sango squeezed his hand. "Don't worry about them; I'm sure they'll come in their own good time."

Kaede stirred the fire, as if the most important thing in the world now was getting the evening meal ready. She had been silent ever since Kagome had gone berserk.

"What do you think caused Kagome to act like that?" Miroku asked.

"What I want to know is what sent those things after Shippo." Sango bit her lip and looked over at the kitsune, who was asleep in the corner with Kirara. "Thanks to Kirara, I was able to get away, but I sensed . . . such power in them." She shot a look at Kaede. "If they continue to dwell in the forest, it is even more dangerous than before."

Kaede nodded, looking older than ever. "What happened today, both to Kagome and Shippo, was connected, we know that is for certain. Beyond that, I do not have any answers."

"Well, let's start with people who dislike Kagome," Miroku said. "The reborn Kikyo has reasons to hold a grudge . . . and Inu-yasha's brother Sesshomaru loathes all humans."

"And Naraku." Sango's expression was unreadable. "Naraku would do anything to hurt Kagome, I know it."

"I do not believe my sister, in any form, would harm an innocent creature," Kaede snapped. "As for Inu-yasha's brother, we have not seen nor heard from him for months."

"Then our biggest lead is Naraku." Miroku stared into the fire intently. "It's been too quiet for too long. He must be behind this."

The two women nodded in agreement. The fire sparked, making the shadows dance on the walls. In one corner, a shadow shook with mirth, and quietly glided out the door without anyone noticing.

---

The sun had gone down. Inu-yasha felt Kagome stir where she lay on his chest, and opened his own eyes. He had dozed off. Blinking, he found himself looking into Kagome's eyes.

"Inu-yasha?" Her voice cracked, and she blinked several times. Her hand came up to brush his cheek. The hanyou stiffened.

"What are you—" he started to say. Kagome snatched her hand back.

"I'm—sorry," she murmured. "I just . . . I just wanted to make sure you were real."

"What do you mean, of course I'm real," He retorted. Then he caught the look in her eye and slid a hand under her chin. She looked up at him. "Kagome—what did you see?"

He scarcely knew what he was talking about, but something nagged in the back of his mind—something had happened in the forest that afternoon, and again when that something had taken over her body. He didn't know who or what it was, and that annoyed him greatly.

"What did you see?" he repeated.

Kagome looked off into the distance. "Well, I . . . I saw. . ."

_Kagome stumbled across the courtyard of her family temple. She jumped into the well, shivering. It was a memory of last winter. Snow covered the ground, and the freezing temperatures made her teeth chatter. It was just as bad in Feudal Japan. _

_She came out on the other side; no one was around. As she headed to the village, she heard laughter coming from the river. It had frozen solid, and now many of the children were sliding around. Included in their games were Shippo, Sango and Miroku. Inu-yasha sat on the bank, Kirara sleeping beside him. _

_Kagome smiled; it was such a happy scene. She started to run along the bank, to join them, but slipped on the ice. She fell painfully._

_:Crack:_

_The teen looked up fearfully. The ice was cracking all around her. Suddenly she was in the freezing water. Kagome gasped; water filled her lungs. She struggled to the surface, but a strong current tossed her about until she couldn't tell what way was up or down. _

_She couldn't breathe; her mind was blank. _

Having fun?

_It was that voice again. That voice that always came to her in these dreams. Kagome turned this way and that in the water, trying to figure out where it came from, but it was no use. The voice was inside her head, echoing until she was afraid it would split. _

Wh—what do you want with me?_ she tried to scream, tears starting to leak out her eyes, mixing with the water. But, like before, no sound issued from her mouth; bubbles floated silently to the surface of the river. _

_The voice laughed. _An interesting question, my lovely. What do I want with you? . . . Why, I want to cause your suffering of course. It is the way of my people. Even now, I have control over your weak body, and am killing your friends.

NO!_ Kagome stopped struggling and was suspended in the water. _

Yes._ The voice sounded amused. _And after they are dead, I will take your body, and you will be mine . . . forever. But, until then, I'll continue the fun.

_Kagome was lifted out of the water, but was surrounded in a crystal. She pressed her hands against the cool wall and peered out. Hovering over the village, she saw bandits attack it out of nowhere; they killed everyone. Women, children, the elderly—after the carnage, they burned everything to the ground. Kagome shrieked and covered her eyes when she saw Kaede's body, all cut and bruised and burned. Nearby was Miroku, his left arm cut off and a stab wound in his heart. Sango lay not far from him, brutally raped. Her throat was slit. _

_The scene changed. Shippo played with Kirara in the forest. He tossed a ball and the cat-demon chased after it into a bush. There was an animal scream and a huge creature with a man's body, a bull's head and shark teeth came into the clearing, Kirara in its jaws. Blood dripped from its teeth and though Kirara's eyes were open, they were devoid of any life. Shippo screamed and tried to run away, but the monster dropped the cat-demon with a roar. As it fell upon Shippo Kagome whimpered and dropped to her knees inside the crystal, desperately trying to block out the screams of the kitsune as he died. _

_Kagome felt the crystal around her shatter, and she looked up. She was . . . home? She ran into the house, and stopped. Her mother was in the kitchen, lying on the floor. Turning her over, Kagome screamed. Her mother wasn't breathing, and her eyes were gaping black holes. She turned, and saw Sota and her grandfather at the table, collapsed. She didn't even bother to check to see if they were alive. _

_Kagome ran out of the house, falling to her knees in the courtyard. Tears streaked down her face. _STOP IT!_ she cried with no voice_. I can't take it, I just can't—

"Kagome!"_ She stopped with she heard Inu-yasha calling and almost looked up. _

No,_ she told herself_. I won't look—I cannot see him die again.

"Kagome!"_ he called again. _"Wake up!"

_He sounded so real, but it couldn't be—_

Inu. . .yasha?

"Yes, it's me, Kagome! Wake up now!"_ She looked up, and saw his face, so afraid for her. But where was she? Kaede's hut . . . she was back in the real world!_

NO! _The voice that haunted her dreams clutched onto her arms with burning hands as Kagome tried to walk forward. _I will not let you go!

No—I have to get to him!_ Kagome said, and she jumped away, into Inu-yasha's embrace. _

Well . . . that was morbid. Didn't think I could write anything like that. Now the question is, should I just leave this chapter like this:thinks: Naw, that'd be too cruel.

Hmmm. . . What to do next . . .:falls asleep at computer: Damn . . . so . . . tired :looks at clock: 12:03 AM! Dang . . . I need to get more rest. Going to finish this tomorrow.

I'll be BACK!

Everyone looked at Kagome in horror as she finished her tale.

"That . . . that was the dream I had after I lost consciousness in the woods," she said.

Sango hugged her; Miroku closed his eyes, his expression grim. Kaede stared into the fire once more, and Inu-yasha sat in half-shadow by the doorway.

"Whatever ye want to do now, child, is up to ye," Kaede said, "Ye can go home or stay here—the choice is yours."

Kagome was silent for a long while. "I . . . I want to go home," she whispered. "I promised my mom I'd be home tonight."

"I'll take her." Inu-yasha stood, speaking for the first time since Kagome had begun relating her story to them. "I'll stay with her for the night."

"But Inu-yasha," Miroku protested. "You're hurt." He nodded to the wound in the hanyou's side; Kaede had tended it the best she could. "Let me go with Kagome."

"Only I can travel through the well, and there's no point in us both going." Inu-yasha helped Kagome to her feet, a protective arm around her shoulders. "Besides, you should stay here with Sango to protect the village."

Miroku looked into his friend's amber eyes and backed off; he knew better than to argue with Inu-yasha when he was like this. "Very well," was all he said.

---

Inu-yasha gave a grunt of pain as he touched down beside the well. He had carried Kagome all the way, and had taken the course alternately running and leaping into the air.

Kagome's head snapped towards him and he cursed himself; he didn't want her to worry. He had always carried his pain within himself, but this wound was bad, not even he could deny it.

"Inu-yasha, you should rest," Kagome said, tugging at his sleeve. "Please, go back to the village. I'll be fine." She forced a smile on her face.

Inu-yasha felt a stab of pain in his heart. To see Kagome pretend to be okay, that hurt more than any flesh wound. He snorted and looked away. "Naw, this is nothing. I told you I would go with you and I'm going."

Kagome smiled a little—a real smile—and said, "Thanks for saving me today." She leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek.

The hanyou flushed. "Uh. . ." was all he could say as he stared at Kagome. _Damn,_ he thought. _What do I do! _

Kagome swung herself over the lip of the well and smiled at him again. "So—are we going or not?"

Inu-yasha looked away, a shy smile on his lips. "Yeah, I guess."

They leapt together into the well.

---

"Kagome, thank heavens you're back!" Mrs. Higurashi said as her daughter appeared in the kitchen. "Oh, and I see you've brought your friend." She smiled at Inu-yasha, who merely nodded. He never had gotten over the whole ear incident.

"Hey, Inu-yasha!" Sota said, running up to his hero. "Are you staying over tonight?"

"Yeah, I am, kid," Inu-yasha said casually.

"Kagome, you must be hungry. Sit down and I'll reheat dinner." Mrs. Higurashi started to bustle around the kitchen.

Kagome stopped her mother, grinning. "No, that's okay, Mom. I . . . I just came home to get some rest. I'm really tired, so I'm going to bed. Bye!" She ran upstairs to her room.

Mrs. Higurashi stared after Kagome, frowning. She turned to Inu-yasha. "What happened today?"

"Eh?" The hanyou stared. "Nothing happened."

The woman made a worried sound. Her daughter had never been the same after falling into the well, and she never spoke of what happened in that other world. Mrs. Higurashi worried so much, but pushed that aside; her daughter never complained, and if something was bothering her she would have come to her mother. Wouldn't she?

Turning to Inu-yasha, Mrs. Higurashi smiled. "Shall I set you up in the guest room, Inu-yasha?"

The hanyou winced; the smile Kagome's mother was giving him was the same forced smile as Kagome had given him moments before. "No, that's fine," he said. "I'll sleep outside Kagome's room." He left the kitchen before another word could be said.

---

That night Kagome slept peacefully in her room. The moonlight streamed into her room through half-drawn curtains, making shadows creep on everything.

Inu-yasha was outside her door, lying on his uninjured side, head propped up by his hand. Try as he could, he could not stay awake, and dozed off.

A cloud drifted across the moon, making Kagome's room go pitch-black. She murmured in sleep and turned onto her back. The blackness above her chest sparked and formed into something solid.

Kagome opened her eyes; she could barely breathe. It felt like there was something . . . something . . . something on her chest. . .

She blinked and screamed, trying to sit up, but stars filled her vision and she fainted. The last thing she remembered was sinister crooning, and the feeling of being crushed.

Out in the hall, Inu-yasha's ears pricked at the scream and he jumped up, one hand going for the Tetsusaiga. He leapt at Kagome's door, about to force it open—

White-hot pain shot through his body, making him crumple to the floor. "What . . . the hell. . ." he gasped. The wound in his side was throbbing.

Suddenly there was a voice in his head. _Poor half-demon_. It was the same voice that had talked through Kagome's body. _That was not an ordinary sword that made that wound. In fact, as long as I am alive, it will not heal_.

"What . . . have you done . . . with . . . Kagome?" Inu-yasha forced the words through gritted teeth. Black dots formed in his vision, the pain growing more and more unbearable.

_Ah, precious Kagome . . . I believe I told you before, half-demon, she is mine. Mine forever . . ._

"No. . ." Inu-yasha whispered as pain and fatigue from the pain sent him into troubled sleep.

His ears pricked as his last bit of consciousness heard one word.

_Mine_.

FINISHED:dies:

Told you I'd be back! The only question now is: is this the end of the fic? Or shall I continue? Hmm. . .

Oh well. Maybe if I get enough threatening reviews, I'll continue. Until then, hasta la vista!

Disclaimer: I own Inu-yasha only spiritually, never physically (whoa . . . that's kind of philosophical) :shudders:


	5. Vanished Innocence

Hell-OH::ducks assortment of weapons thrown at head: Now, is that any way to treat an author of wonderfully amazing fanfiction::ducks atomic bomb: Guess that's kinda up to the reviewers . . . heh heh. . . .

ANYways, here I am. Sorry I haven't updated, but I just haven't had the kind of depressing thoughts necessary for this kind of thing (now that I think of it, I don't have the depressing thoughts right NOW. . .EEP!) Oh well, I'll give it my best shot . . . you know, get a few pages out while I'm still conscious . . . :sneaks peek at death-glares from reviewers: OKAY, OKAY::types furiously:

You know, ONE of the reasons (other than #$!in' writer's block) MIGHT be because SOME people :glares: aren't reviewing with as much enthusiasm as I might like. :sighs: Feh. . . I guess that's the way the dice roll.

Alright! Before I go to bed:

HAUNTED

By: Dark Angel Kiki

_Chapter 5—Vanished Innocence_

Mrs. Higurashi muttered in her sleep. Her dreams were not peaceful

"_Mama!" Kagome called out. "Help me, please!" Tears streamed down her daughter's face, and she was drowning in some kind of black substance, like oil, or—_

"_Mamaaaaaa!"_

"Kagome!" Mrs. Higurashi sat up, sweat streaming off her face. Tearing off the covers, she didn't even bother to pull on her robe as she burst through her bedroom door and tore down the hall.

"Mom!" came a cry from Sota's room. He also came out of his room, sweating and crying. "Mom, I had a nightmare—" He stopped as his mother moved past him.

"What's happened to Kagome?"

Inu-yasha was lying in front of Kagome's bedroom door, unconscious, his face streaked with pain. Mrs. Higurashi stepped over him as she opened her daughter's door.

"Kagome—" her cry was shortened as she saw the empty bed. . .

"Inu-yasha, wake up!" Sota shook the dog demon. "What happened? Where's Kagome?"

Inu-yasha grunted, but didn't wake up. Stubborn ass, isn't he?

"I saw it all! Kagome was kidnapped!" said a small voice. Sota looked up, but couldn't see anyone. "Down here, boy! Down here!"

Sota looked down to see some kind of insect jumping on Inu-yasha's shoulder. "What the—"

"I am Myoga the flea, servant of Lord Inu-yasha!" the insect squeaked. "And I can wake him!" Jumping to Inu-yasha's face, the flea stuck his mouth into the flesh and began sucking blood. Never fails . . .

Two seconds later, Inu-yasha's hand came up, squashing poor Myoga. His amber eyes opened, and his brow furrowed. Sitting up, he snapped, "Where's Kagome?"

Sota blinked, his jaw hanging open. Inu-yasha snorted, and looked down at him palm, where Myoga inflated himself, repeating, "I saw what happened to Kagome! I saw it all! I—EEP!" He squeaked again as his head was placed between two of Inu-yasha's nails.

"Talk, Flea," Inu-yasha said shortly. His ears twitched as he heard a whimper. He turned his head to Kagome's room, where her mother was standing. . .

"Ka-gome. . ." Mrs. Higurashi whispered. One hand was at her mouth, and she looked like she was holding back a torrent of tears. "What happened to my daughter?" She turned to Inu-yasha. "What happened to her?" she repeated.

"I . . . don't know. . ." Inu-yasha said to her. Inside himself, he swore again and again.

_Some protector,_ he snapped at himself. _You idiot! Just because Kagome was back in her own world, that didn't mean she would automatically be safe!_

But what was done was done—nothing could change that now.

He looked back at Myoga. "What happened?" he asked. "Wait—how did you get here, anyway?"

Myoga looked sheepish. "Well, I, uh. . ." The pressure of the nails on either side of his head increased. "Ah—I saw everything that happened this afternoon and I was as worried as everyone else was for Kagome so I hid in your clothes when you came through the Bone-Eater's well!" Taking a breath, he looked up at Inu-yasha. "Will you put me down now? Please?"

He looked so pathetic, and Inu-yasha was in such a hurry that the tiny demon was obliged. "Now talk," Inu-yasha snapped when Myoga was finished kissing the wooden floor.

"Well," Myoga started, sitting cross-legged on the floor. "I decided to go into Kagome's room for—ah—a midnight snack, and—"

"Eew, gross!" Sota exclaimed. "You were gonna suck my sister's blood!"

"Kid," Inu-yasha said carefully, a vein throbbing in his temple. "We don't have time for you to be squeamish. Shut up."

Sota blushed, and closed his mouth.

"As I was saying," Myoga continued. "I was in Kagome's room, and she was sleeping peacefully when suddenly the shadows in the room began . . . moving." Myoga paused for dramatics' sake. "The shadows blocked out all light coming from the window, and for moments I could not see. Luckily, like most demons, I was able to see through the dark, though it was _very_ difficult . . ." The flea paused again.

"Cut the theatrics and tell us what happened to Kagome!" Inu-yasha snapped.

"Well, I'm not entirely sure how to explain the next part!" Myoga said defensively. "It seemed at first the shadows themselves had converged on Kagome's chest, weighing her down, but then I saw that it was a separate entity—something that controlled the shadows, but was, by itself, an individual."

"And then?" Inu-yasha prodded.

"Then, something slimy and cold covered me and I can't remember anything after that." Myoga sighed. "When the shadow—and I think that was what impaired my vision—got off of me, Kagome was gone."

Inu-yasha growled. "That doesn't really help me—if it was a demon, how could it have gotten here? Only Kagome and I can travel through the well. . ."

"I don't think it was entirely a demon," Sota spoke up. He stared at Myoga. "Didn't you say it was on Kagome's chest?"

"Yes, it appeared that way," the flea responded.

Sota stood and ran into his room. When he came back he was carrying a library book: "Mythological Creatures". Flipping to a page, he read aloud. "'Incubi and succubae: These spirits or demons visit people in the night'. Succubae are female, and incubi are male—they visit females through dreams." Sota looked up. "The book says that sometimes the incubi sit on their victims' chests, crushing them."

Inu-yasha blinked. "But why the hell would this incu-whatsis be interested in Kagome?"

Sota blushed. "Well—it says that both incubi and succubi use humans for, um. . ."

"For what?" Inu-yasha was starting to get impatient. "Spit it out."

"For . . . uh . . . intercourse." Sota coughed slightly, still red.

Inu-yasha's expression switched from disbelief to disgust in less than a second.

"What?" he said in a flat tone.

---

Kaede stirred in her bed; she was plagued by dreams where Kagome was drowning in the middle of a swamp, the black waters dragging her down as she screamed. _But she can swim_, Kaede thought dully. Something must have been dragging her down. . .

"Kaede!"

The old woman was torn from her sleep as Inu-yasha ran into the hut.

"Inu-yasha?" Miroku also sat up across the hut. "Kagome—something's happened—"

"I had a horrid dream," Sango said. "Kagome was snatched up by some kind of black demon with red eyes, and—" She cut off as she saw Inu-yasha's face.

"Kagome HAS been kidnapped," Inu-yasha said. "By a kind of shadow-demon-thingy called an incubator."

"Huh?" Sango, Miroku, Kaede, Shippo, and even Kirara looked at him, clueless.

"Um, Lord Inu-yasha, I believe Kagome's brother called it an 'incubus'," Myoga muttered from his master's shoulder.

"Whatever," Inu-yasha spat. "I don't care what it's called—the point is, we have to save Kagome. Now!"

"Inu-yasha," Kaede said tightly. "I think you need to calm down. We need to discuss this first. You don't even know where to look."

She got out of bed and began coaxing the fire into life again.

---

Back in modern Japan, Sota tried to comfort his mother. Mrs. Higurashi sat on Kagome's bed, looking lost, clutching at her daughter's bathrobe.

"I don't understand how this could have happened," she whispered. "I thought that—here, of all places, she would be safe. . ."

Sota bit his lip, trying not to cry. "Don't worry, Mom," he said, patting her shoulder. "Inu-yasha's gonna get her back, and it'll be all right again."

"Inu-yasha was supposed to prevent something from happening in the first place," Mrs. Higurashi said bitterly.

She slapped a hand to her mouth, shocked at her own resentment toward the dog-eared boy, who hadn't done anything but care for her daughter. "I'm sorry, Sota, I didn't mean that," she said, trying to smile for her son. "But sometimes it's hard for me. . ."

"You worry about her a lot, don't you?" Sota asked. "Especially when she's over there."

Mrs. Higurashi nodded. "More than you know."

"Well, I worry about her, too!" Sota said. "But I know that Inu-yasha's gonna save her! He always does—and on top of him being the best hero out there, he loves Kagome!" Smiling, Sota went over to the window, and looked out.

"He'll save her before sunrise, Mom, just you wait."

Mrs. Higurashi smiled, and joined her son at the window, looking out at the mini-shrine. "You're right, Sota," she said. "I'm sure Kagome will be just fine."

A/N: It's past one am. . .so. . .tired. . .must. . .continue. . .zzzzzzzzzzzz.

---

Kagome sighed as she felt a cold breeze on her face. She tried to roll over and pull the covers over her head, but her body wouldn't move. Her mind, still fuzzy from sleep, could not comprehend why.

Reality slammed into her. Last night—something crushing on her chest—she had screamed—and then—nothing. Like a sleep without dreams, she could remember nothing. Only blackness. And cold.

Her eyes snapped open. She was chained to some sort of table, more a slab of black rock than anything. The strong, slender chains coiled around her arms, her torso, and her legs, making it hard even to move at all. Not that Kagome didn't try, of course.

"Oh, you're awake, are you?" said a voice to her right. Kagome went cold; she knew that voice . . . though she wished she didn't.

She turned her head to one side, and a figure stepped from the shadows. He smiled. Kagome blinked incredulously.

"Good morning, darling," the incubus said cheerfully. Kagome squeezed her eyes shut and then opened them again, trying to focus properly.

He was the average height of a teenage boy, and looked it, too, with shoulder-length black hair and twinkling grey eyes. His mouth was cocked in a grin as he made his way over to the table where Kagome lay. He was dressed in fine silks, and his extremely pointy ears had many sets of earrings. On his fingers were rings of gold, each set with precious stones.

"You—you're the one who's been sending me the nightmares?" Kagome blurted. There was no way—this guy looked like some people she saw on the street, for crying out loud!

"I am," he admitted. "You may call me Kozue. I was ordered to suck out your soul, but that took far too long, so now you're here."

Kagome shook her head. The more she listened to this Kozue's voice, the less it sounded like the chillingly sadistic drawl she had heard in her dreams.

"Oh, by the way, I altered my voice in your mind. Terrifying, wasn't it?" Kozue grinned. At her bewildered look, he added, "Yes, I can read your mind. I've been in it for the past . . . three, four days now?"

Kagome nodded mutely, her mind reeling. _This—clown has been making me scared out of my wits, and he looks like he's only Inu-yasha's age—oh my god, the others must be so worried about me—and just because he was ordered to—_

"Wait a minute," she said. Kozue stopped humming to himself, and focused on her. "Who's ordered you to suck out my soul? It's Naraku, isn't it?"

"Naraku?" Kozue shuddered. "No way in Hell. Wouldn't deal with the freaky bastard if you paid me with souls and women." He laughed as Kagome paled. "Relax; I don't like the young, virginal types. Besides, I'm under strict orders not to touch you. Period."

The way he talked . . . he could have fit in at her high school. . .

"How did you get through the well?"

Kozue shrugged. "I travelled with you through the dreams. Dreams have been around forever. I don't need wells or shards of jewels to be able to go where I wish." He grinned. "Although having a shard does help." He held up a sliver of the Shikon no Tama.

Kagome gaped. Where had he gotten that? _And why hadn't she sensed it!_

"Well—"

Kozue was cut of as a door slammed closed somewhere and a cold voice called out.

"Oops," he said, suddenly becoming serious. "There's the boss, but I'll be back." With that, he was gone.

Kagome took this chance to study her surroundings. On each side of the table were a few feet of clarity, which soon faded into blackness.

_Reminds me of the sacrificial altar in cheesy movies_, Kagome thought. _Ack!—no, no, get that thought out of the head, out of the head!_

Looking to her left, she saw a long, slim window—that's what must have let the breeze in. But even if she could move, it was too high off the ground to even consider jumping to, and the room seemed to be empty of anything to climb on.

Now her only option was to wait for Inu-yasha and the others to come rescue her.

_Inu-yasha_. . . Kagome bit her lip, recalling how he was wounded. _That stubborn hanyou is probably going to ignore his wounds, just to come get me. ._ She didn't know whether to feel happy or sick at heart.

On one hand . . . he was coming for her, and nothing could stop him. On the other . . . one of these days his wounds could kill him, and it would be her fault.

Kagome shook her head. While these 'deep thought sessions' did help pass the time, they didn't help her keep a positive, peppy attitude.

_How can you have a positive, peppy attitude when you know that someone out there wants to suck out your soul? _said a nasty voice in the back of her mind.

_Shut up!_ she mentally hollered back, and tried to block everything out.

Presently there were the sounds of feet tapping across the stone floor. Kagome looked up to see Kozue coming out of the gloom. He didn't look the same at all. Gone was his jovial air and twinkling eyes. Now, his eyes were hard, and masked with anger, fear and a sort of misery.

He waved a hand, and the table swung up, so that Kagome's body was now more vertical than horizontal.

"My boss has decided to finish with this," he said, his voice as hard as his eyes and with less emotion. "May I present—"

But he did not have to say any more. A second figure stepped out of the gloom, with long, black hair, the white _haori_, the red _hakama_—

"K—Kikyo?" Kagome exclaimed, eyes wide in surprise.

(three months later)

:yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawn: This took too long. :sighs:

I hope you people haven't forgotten about this fic, because HERE's the update! I was hurrying to finish before I take off for Youthwrite 2004 for a week.

You, know, this story has really spun out of control since I first got the idea for it—it used to be: Kagome has bad dreams, Kagome is kidnapped by evil bastard controlling bad dreams, Inu-yasha comes to rescue Kagome, Inu-yasha kicks evil bastard's ass, and Inu-yasha and Kagome kiss-kiss and everything is happily ever after.

BUT. . .

Three months ago (when I first started this chapter -.-;;) I decided to introduce Kikyo (hereafter called 'the bitch') herself. Introduction of the bitch just kinda popped into my head one night before I fell asleep (because I'm pathetic and think about fanfiction just before I fall asleep -.-;;;;) Is that weird? Am I the only person who does that? But I will get more into why Ki—I mean, the bitch is involved . . . NEXT CHAPTER! (Yes, yes I AM evil)

Anyways. . .

I'm sure you noticed that this chapter is quite abrupt (at least I think so) That's 'cuz it is. I wanted to finish it before I leave and won't be able to post for a week!

Muses: Oh, so you actually plan to post something in less than three months?

Shut it. That was during the school year—now it's SUMMERTIME!

I can almost imagine what my beta reader, Lily, will have to say to receiving this via e-mail:

Lily::glares: This took too long for you to write, AND you left it in a cliffhanger again, you little bitch.

I can almost guarantee she'll say exactly that . . . or at least something along those lines.

So . . . that's all I have to say, besides, please review, or e-mail, or something. MAKE CONTACT WITH ME!

Disclaimer::shudders: I hate this part. . . Inu-yasha is not in any way, shape or form, owned by me, nor are its affiliate characters. I own plot, and I own original characters. Now go away.

:falls asleep:


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